Iban Toledo Ibañez and Iñaki Alforja Sagone are the directors of the documentary, ‘History of a Steering Wheel’, focusing on the disappearance of José Miguel Etxeberria Álvarez on June 11, 1980, who was a member of the Autonomous Anti-Capitalist Commands (Espanol: Comandos Autónomos Anticapitalistas). This documentary was featured at the 2021 San Sebastian Film Festival.
History of a Steering Wheel focuses on the Etxeberria-Alvarez family, with Eneko Etxeberria, brother of Jose Miguel, leading in this documentary to speak to the camera along with members of friends, families, and associates that knew of Jose before his disappearance.
The symbolism of the Steering Wheel represented what the family was able to find during his long search for Jose when he was first declared a missing persons case. Eneko promised his family that he would not return home empty-handed when he was notified by French Police that they found Jose’s car. Paxti Etxeberria, the father of Jose Miguel and Eneko, took a screwdriver to remove the steering wheel and keep it within the family as their symbol to keep his memory alive and to continue searching for answers of Jose’s disappearance until they can find peace within the family.
Jose Miguel was considered to many as an anarchist, aligned with the Autonomous Anti-Capitalist Commands ideology where they are against unions and political parties and advocate for socialism and independence. They were an armed organization in the Basque County of Spain during the 1970s to the 1980s.
Eneko has known the directors for a long time and they have experienced his hurt and overwhelming sorrow as Eneko still search for the remains of his brother in the last 40 years to this day to give him a proper burial in their hometown. Eneko is an advocate of human rights and humanity in that it is essential for humans to have a place to mourn for someone they truly love and honour their legacy.
The subject behind this documentary leaves viewers with the feelings of anguish and sorrow for Eneko and the Etxeberria-Alvarez family they hold on to as to not know how or why the person disappeared without a trace, without even his remains identified, creates a hollow thought carried on with their lives of knowing only the first 22 years of Jose Miguel’s life and what could have been if he was still alive today.
The feeling of unanswered questions without having the proper closure of Jose’s case can be seen too common, regardless of who the person is or what they do with their life, but to just become a missing person, creates a shockwave of trauma to those that had a connection with that person.
Another armed terrorist group called ‘El Batallón Vasco Español (BVE)’ claimed they were responsible for the murder of Jose Miguel, but without actual evidence of the remains of his body. While the claim can only be taken at face value for what it was, Eneko still believes a search is necessary to have the questions answered and continue honouring the memory of his brother.
Eneko hopes that he would not have to pass down the steering wheel to his son, as a symbol of passing the torch for him to continue the search in honour of his memory to the family. This particular segment was such a powerful piece of Eneko’s dedication to preserving the history of his brother, which gives a great lesson in how humanity comes together when one passes away.
Of course, with Eneko leading the initiatives of creating a grave for Jose Miguel to honour his memory every year, takes a toll on Eneko himself as well as their family. As much as it is a celebration of life to bring strength and solidarity in their ongoing efforts of the search for Jose Miguel, it also brings the never-ending stress and trauma of the story that has yet to end. The documentary helps the audience navigate through the interviews of people talking about memories of Jose Miguel. It can be seen as a constant conversation piece around the family in a way that keeps their bond close to the commonalities of how they feel about the loss of a loved one.
History of a Steering Wheel demonstrated how a family copes with the loss of a missing person, something that unfortunately does not have a happy ending, but rather a lingering question of when the end will happen. Seeing how it has been over 40 years of searching for Jose Miguel, even if the remains are discovered, the damage that has been done to the family could take another 40 years to recover from the trauma and move forward with closure. It’s something to think about when one was to experience the grief the Etxeberria-Alvarez family still goes through to this day, and would make the audience think about how life is precious and reveals that there are people out there that truly care when they are gone.